System and method to automatically enable and disable a signal transmitter

Abstract

A method for automatically disabling and enabling a signal transmitter in a mobile device includes monitoring, by a signal transmission manager, a location of the mobile device. The method further includes making a first determination, using the signal transmission manager, that the location is indicative of an airport. Also, the method includes enabling, in response to the first determination, an airplane detection module. Moreover, the method includes making a second determination, using the airplane detection module, that the mobile device is located on an airplane. In addition, the method includes disabling, in response to the second determination, the signal transmitter. Further, the method includes making a third determination, using the airplane detection module, that operation of the signal transmitter is compatible with operation of the airplane. The method also includes enabling, in response to the third determination, the signal transmitter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for automatically disabling and enabling a signal transmitter in a mobile device, the method comprising:
 monitoring, by a signal transmission manager, a location of the mobile device;   making a first determination, using the signal transmission manager, that the location is indicative of an airport;   enabling, in response to the first determination, an airplane detection module;   making a second determination, using the airplane detection module, that the mobile device is located on an airplane;   disabling, in response to the second determination, the signal transmitter;   making a third determination, using the airplane detection module, that operation of the signal transmitter is compatible with operation of the airplane; and   enabling, in response to the third determination, the signal transmitter.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 making a fourth determination, after enabling the signal transmitter, that the mobile device is no longer located in a second location indicative of a second airport; and   disabling, in response to the fourth determination, the airplane detection module.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third determination is made based on periodically checking, at a time interval, the operation of the airplane. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the time interval is between ten minutes and thirty minutes. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal transmitter is a cellular signal transmitter. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second determination comprises determining that the airplane is moving. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third determination comprises determining that an engine of the airplane is no longer running. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining that the engine of the airplane is no longer running is made using one of a vibration sensor and a sound sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third determination comprises determining that the mobile device is not located on the airplane. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a laptop. 
     
     
         11 . A method for automatically disabling and enabling a signal transmitter in a mobile device, the method comprising:
 making a first determination that the mobile device is located on an airplane based on first data from at least one of a sound sensor, a vibration sensor, and an accelerometer;   disabling, in response to the first determination, signal transmission of the signal transmitter;   making a second determination, after the disabling, that operation of the signal transmitter is compatible with operation of the airplane based on second data from any combination of the sound sensor, the vibration sensor, the accelerometer, a location sensor, and one of a plurality of detected wireless network access point names; and   enabling, in response to the second determination, signal transmission of the signal transmitter.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 monitoring a location of the mobile device using any combination of the sound sensor, the vibration sensor, the accelerometer, the location sensor, another one of the plurality of detected wireless network access point names, and the signal transmitter;   making a third determination that the location is indicative of an airport; and   enabling, in response to the third determination, an airplane detection module, and wherein the first determination is made using the airplane detection module.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the location is further indicative of an air bridge or an airport ramp. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the signal transmitter is a cellular signal transmitter. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first determination comprises determining that the first data is indicative of the airplane moving. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second determination comprises determining that the second data is indicative of an engine of the airplane no longer running. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining that the second data is indicative of the engine of the airplane no longer running is made using one of the vibration sensor and the sound sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the second determination comprises determining that the second data is indicative of the mobile device not being located on the airplane. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein disabling signal transmission of the signal transmitter does not affect any other operation of the mobile device. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to perform a method for automatically disabling and enabling a signal transmitter of a mobile device, the method comprising:
 monitoring, by a signal transmission manager, a location of the mobile device based on first data received by at least one of a sound sensor, a vibration sensor, an accelerometer, a location sensor, one of a plurality of detected wireless network access point names, and the signal transmitter;   making a first determination, using the signal transmission manager and based on the first data, that the location is indicative of an airport;   enabling, in response to the first determination, an airplane detection module;   making a second determination, using the airplane detection module, that the mobile device is located on an airplane, based on second data from at least one of the sound sensor, the vibration sensor, and the accelerometer;   disabling, in response to the second determination, the signal transmitter;   making a third determination, using the airplane detection module, that operation of the signal transmitter is compatible with operation of the airplane, based on third data from any combination of the sound sensor, the vibration sensor, the accelerometer, the location sensor, and another one of the plurality of detected wireless network access point names; and   enabling, in response to the third determination, the signal transmitter.